The Truth Revealed
by Jaina Solo Fel
Summary: The crew of the Enterprise is on leave, when they are called upon for a secert mission that may endanger the life a crew member and friend has tried to build and expose a deadly secret... AU-post insurrection
1. Chapter One

_**The Princess's Story**_

_**The Truth Revealed**_

All unknown planets are my creations or at least the names are.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot.

**This is completely AU so disregard anything that would prevent this story from taking place. Post Insurrection.**

* * *

It was a hot day in San Francisco. The sun was out, it was late July, and there were no clouds in the sky to create a shelter from the sun. Most people were indoors staying cool, though there were some who were braving the heat. In the midst of the hot day were two people who seemed to be enjoying the non-holographic outdoors. They were Deanna Troi and William Riker.

They were sitting in a small park on the outskirts of the city. Riker had his head in Troi's lap; she was playing with a strand of his loose hair. They were sitting in silence, content to be away from the responsibilities of their duty and the chaos of the Enterprise E. They as well as the rest of the crew had been forced to take leave after their missions to the Aniaj system to find the cause of Starfleet personnel's disappearances from a scientific research station.

"Will, when was the last time we could just sit, with out worry or pressure?" Deanna said. "Uninterrupted." She added as an after thought.

"I wish I knew, though we have what, 100 days of shore leave left so what ever shall we do?" Riker answered. "I don't know about you, Deanna, but I can come up with a few ideas."

"_Will. _Like you said we have 100 days left to ourselves, lets do something productive. Like-"

"Deanna, stop." As he said this he sat up and wrapped his arms around her. She sighed contentedly into his shoulder. "Why don't we go down to the lake, and rent a boat and just enjoy the beautiful day." Will whispered all of this into her ear while, pulling her into his lap. She leaned against him with her eyes closed; just enjoying the feeling of his strong arms.

"That sounds like a great idea." Deanna answered. "Although if that means having to move we might run into a few problems. I have no intention of leaving this oh so comfortable position."

"Is that so. Well I have a few ways to make you move. I got my heart set on sailing so…" He let his sentence do unfinished. Riker leaned down to kiss Troi's neck; he took her off guard and pushed her off his lap and onto the ground.

"Will!!" Screamed Deanna. "What was that for?" She said with mock fury.

" I told you I would get you to move." He winked at her and took off running towards the lake. She smiled and ran off after her Imzadi. When she caught up to his at the lake's edge she put on a look of fake hurt.

"Will, why did you run off? Don't you want to spend time with me?" Will looked as if he didn't know what to say.

" Deanna-" what ever he was going to say was cut off as Troi pushed him into the water, but not before he caught her hand and pulled her down with him.

Not far away Captain Jean-Luc Picard was sitting in his apartment reading the classic Shakespearian play _Romeo and Juliet. _Picard looked up from the book when his comm. started beeping. He turned to it and was greeted with the voice of Admiral Dovias.

"Admiral what can I help you with?" Picard knew just to get to the point with Dovias. She had a reputation for being a workaholic even with the fact she had two children and was married.

"Captain I need you to meet with me in two hours. I have something to discuss with you. In a more secure place."

"Alright." Picard said though he wondered what could be so confidential. "I'll be in your office in two hours."

"Good Dovias out."

The day had only just begun, and shore leave wasn't even half over yet, but it seemed he was about to be dragged in to another crazy mission. '_No use worrying just yet though,' _Picard thought to himself as he got ready for is meeting with Dovias.

Two hours later----

Picard arrived at Dovias' office exactly two hours later. He knocked.

"Enter." The admiral called from inside. "Ahh Captain Picard. I'm glad you could make it."

"Care to tell me why I'm here when I'm supposed to be on leave." He questioned.

"Are you always so blunt? Well no matter. The reason I've called you here is I need you and your senior crew to undertake a mission of a sensitive nature. I would ask you to take a large space yacht to Betazed. The reason being civil war has broken out. The royal family's lives have been placed in danger from the political faction that opposes a monarchy and supports a democracy. The Queen her husband, son, and daughter are in immediate danger and need to be extracted. Carefully. I'm aware that you are on shore leave, but the Enterprise is one of the few ships that has a Betazoid native that is not currently on another mission. And the only currently on Earth. "

"I was under the impression there were two Betazoid princesses and a two princes."

"You would be correct though, it's not common knowledge that the eldest prince and princess have renounced their claims to the throne. No explanation was give as to why they left and even the vast majority of the Betazoid population is unaware of their…ahh rejection of their heritage. They were simply told that they are both unable to produce heirs and are often off planet to tend to important foreign affairs. They are also the product of the queen's first marriage to King Leonardo, who died after he contracted a rare disease. If either one were to reclaim their birthright the line of Mykaria would continue. Even though the current king is Kaleb Carrington, and the youngest heirs are direct descendants of the current king, he is not of the bloodline that has governed Betazed for generations. The Betazoid people would react quite well if the bloodline was not upset and placed in new hands, as it inevitably will be. The queen married into the royal family, she was actually a wealthy heiress, and her father was a rich businessman. But this is not a lesson in Betazoid history. All that matters is that the royal family be retrieved and brought safely back to Earth. The only reason we were informed of the situation was because of the close ties between the Betazoid government and the Federation. It remains a closely guarded secret, even now some 14 years after the disappearance of the princess, and 17 years after the prince went into exile. "

"That's odd. I'll get in contact with my five senior officers and have them briefed in the situation-"

"No! Just beam them aboard the shuttle as you lock on to them. I don't want word getting out. You never know; even on the most secure comm. channels. I know that they will have no clothing or other necessities but, the provided shuttle will have full replicator power and can provide them with anything they need."

"Well I can brief them once they are on board, Alright then when should we leave?"

"The yacht is ready to go I'll take you there now. I do hope you understand why this amount of secrecy is important. Oh and one other thing. I would like you to allow your councilor to handle all diplomatic issues. I want your crew to be as…unobtrusive as possible. Make sure the royal family is as comfortable as possible, and has no needs."

"I'm sure Councilor Troi will be up to the task." _So much for shore leave._

"Will, I can't believe you pulled me into the water. I'm soaked." Deanna said as she and Will opened the door to her apartment. "I am a walking mass of water. I'm going to get changed-no you can't help- then we can watch a movie or something. I'll be right back." She told Riker as she walked away. Will went to change his shirt and wait for Deanna in the main room.

Five minutes later Deanna reappeared wearing tight black jean shorts and a baby blue spaghetti strap top. Her hair was pulled into a braid at the base of her neck. Will was sitting at the bar pouring soda when she came out. For a moment he forgot what he was doing and poured too much soda in the glass and it poured over the edge. Deanna laughed.

"Well at least wasn't all that much." Will laughed. Deanna sat next to him and started to give him a shoulder massage. He leaned back into her arms and sat there thinking about how his life couldn't get any better.

"What movie should we watch? I was thinking a classic or that new one about the-"

"How about the one about life on a starship- mainly the Enterprise see how much they got right."

"I thought we agreed not to think about the … Enterprise … till we had to go back. I mean I'm pretty sure were the only ones not on some exotic planet, which means not much of a chance to run into any crew members so we don't have to consider or worry about our jobs till leave was over and we have to back and see everyone and-"

"Deanna you're rambling. You said you'd stop doing that."

"Sorry. It's just hard I've done that all my life. I can't help it. "

"You don't talk continuously around Captain Picard."

"Well you learn to keep quieter around people who control your future."

"I don't have a small say in your future."

"What do you mean?"

"I guess I was thinking about our future. I mean where do we go from here? Where do we want to go?"

Deanna didn't respond to Will's question, she turned his chair around and looked him in the face.

Finally she said, "We can go wherever we want. Our jobs haven't prevented us from being together and we're here aren't we? What more can we ask for?" Deanna knew what she wanted to say but would never say it aloud to Will. She knew how important his career is Starfleet was to him, and that he wasn't the type to – _No I won't even think it. This is supposed to be our time. Not the time to worry about what could or couldn't be. _She thought to herself.

"That's not what I meant Dee. I just feel like there's something missing in my life. Like a piece of the puzzle is still out there waiting for me to find it. I thought that when I found you in my life again that I would be able to fill the void left in me. And I did for a while, but I need something more now. Like I've gone as far as I can and if I don't change something, go forward in my life, I'll become stuck in the same life that doesn't vary."

Deanna stared at him. She didn't know what to say. Will rarely expressed his feelings like this. He was usually so reserved and she was terrified. Troi wondered if he felt like she was holding him back from his dreams or if he wanted something more out of their relationship. She was suddenly reminded of all the heartbreak she felt after he failed to show up for their wedding. How was she to know he didn't want to stop wasting time with her and continue to work on his career.

"Deanna, I've been thinking about this a lot recently, and I think I've got the answer." She held her breath. "Deanna-" what ever he was going to say was cut off when they were surrounded by light. When the light faded the apartment was empty.

When Picard entered the hanger bay with Admiral Dovias he wondered which shuttle they would be taking. She began talking to an Ensign out side of a large shuttle that could easily accommodate ten people. He assumed that would be the one he and his crew would be using on their mission to Betazed. When he asked Dovias he said, "I assume this will be the craft my team and I will be using on the…Mission."

"No you won't be using this craft you will be using that one." She pointed out a large shuttle that looked like it could fit 30 people compared to the petite one next to it. The craft was gleaming silver and obviously more space than they needed. _Royalty. _Picard decided.

An hour later Picard stood alone in the transporter room of the _Betaprin _ready to begin transporting his crew aboard. He had been told to beam them directly aboard without contact first and not to tell them of the mission until they were safely underway. He had been showed around the ship and to Jean-Luc it seemed like a smaller version of the _Enterprise_, complete with weapons systems and a holodeck. It was more than this type of mission needed, but Command decided in situations like this it's better to make their guests as comfortable as possible, and they were certainly taking that idea to the extreme.

He thought about the various staff members reactions to suddenly being transported into another mission –during shore leave. Beverly would most likely be upset at being away from her family and Wesley, but wouldn't complain. A smile came to his face when he thought of Beverly. Data would not have much of a reaction. Even though his emotion chip may allow him to experience regret and sorrow he was still an android and had no real reason to have shore leave. He really did have a strong sense of duty. La Forge would probably retaliate with sarcastic comments that would to try his patience and that of the rest of the crew. Deanna. She would be furious and annoyed that her time with Will was interrupted, though she would have a calm façade and would keep her cool in his presence. She would only express her true anger to Riker and Crusher. And then there was Will. He would be the most outspoken nothing against Jean-Luc himself, but against Starfleet- well he wouldn't keep quiet. Riker wouldn't say anything directly, but his tone and side comments would more than make up for that. Even though he valued his career in Starfleet more than anything, he often got annoyed that they never could let him alone. He felt that his time was always interrupted, he knew that the decision to leave Deanna on Risa was his and his alone, but he felt that if he hadn't been asked to go on such and important mission while he was at such a low rank and had been allowed to communicate with Deanna things might have ended differently between them.

_First, Beverly I could use the back up, and her presence, _Picard thought as he walked up to the control console. He knew all five were in the San Francisco area. Once he got a lock on her he hesitated; he felt bad about not giving them any advance warning. As soon as he hit energize a column of light was suddenly filling his vision. A minute later Doctor Beverly Crusher stood on the transporter platform.

Beverly looked around disoriented, until she saw Jean-Luc standing at the transporter console. "Do I even want to know or should I just go down to sick bay, even if I don't know where that is?"

"Beverly just be patient as soon as the others are here I tell you what's going on. Believe me it's a most …unusual story. Ahh! I have a lock on Geordi and Data."

"Ok I'll wait then." She stated simply. A few seconds later LaForge and the android were standing in front of them after the light from the transporter faded.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"I'm afraid shore leave has been canceled. Once Counselor Troi and Commander Riker are aboard I'll explain everything. If you and Data would be so kind as to locate them and bring them aboard and then join Dr. Crusher and myself on the bridge, it would be most helpful. We'll meet you there. Oh and I'm pretty sure that they were to be spending shore leave together."

With that said the two of them left to go find the bridge.

"This is a most unusual set of circumstances. What do you believe we were called off shore leave for?"

"If I knew that Data, I'd probably already be thinking up ways to get my self back here as soon as possible. There they are. Will is going to kill me for this but that's neither here nor there."

At that moment Geordi hit the energize button and a moment later an annoyed William Riker and a startled Deanna Troi who had lost her balance upon reenergizing and fell were aboard the _Betaprin._ Will looked around trying to get his bearings, and spotted LaForge and Data at the console.

"Starfleet always picks the most inconvenient times to decide they want something from us. Where are we headed this time? And why is shore leave cancelled?" Will grumbled as he offered Deanna a hand up, which she accepted.

"All Picard told us was to beam the two of you to here…wherever here is and then meet him and Doctor Crusher on the bridge. As to why shore leave is cancelled…well since when do we get a break?" Geordi explained.

"Alright, what about the fact all we have with us are the clothes we're wearing and nothing more?" Deanna finally spoke in an annoyed sort of voice only Will could pick up on. He knew she really wanted to know what he had been about to say to her, but he felt kind of relived he didn't have to tell her at that exact moment.

"I'm quite confident the Captain will give us an adequate explanation. He did request that we join him as soon as we brought both of you on board." Data interjected. "So it might be wise to make our way to the bridge."

"Data's right. Standing here and speculating won't get us anywhere and I want to know who I need to be angry with." Will advised. As the four of them made their way out of the transporter room and out into the main ship, Will caught Deanna's hand and gave it a squeeze. Oddly enough she felt comforted by the gesture, and felt some of the tension in her chest that had been growing since Will had started his speech back in her apartment. She could tell he had been nervous while he was speaking, and wanted badly to know why and what he was had been about to say. She felt it was very unlike him to get tense like that. She could tell he was now furious and extremely relived at the same time, which started to get _her _worried again, as she kept reliving the conversation in her mind. _What could he have possibly been about to say, _she thought as thousands of possibilities raced through her mind. But, instead of voicing these concerns and questions (because she knew now was neither the time nor place to have a personal conversation) she simply smiled at him and tried to think of the task at hand. After about ten minutes of wandering down halls they found the turbo lift and arrived on the bridge.

When the lift doors opened she noticed a Jean-Luc and Beverley trying not to look or _feel _embarrassed, even though they were. She also noticed they were standing awfully close to one another and made a mental note to ask Beverley about it later.

"Finally, I thought that you might have left San Francisco and Geordi couldn't find you." Picard said when they stepped out of the turbo lift. "I suppose your wondering why you're all here when we're supposed to be on leave."

"You can say that again." Riker muttered.

"I was instructed to wait until we were safely underway to give you an in-depth mission briefing, so all I will say now is that we are on a top secret mission." Picard explained, ignoring Riker's comment. "We have been given instructions that must be followed to the letter, for the risk of compromising our safety and that of others. So take your positions, we will be the only crew on board." The five of them exchanged a quick glance. The Captain sighed. "Data, you take the helm, Councilor Troi on communications, Number One Weapons systems, Commander LaForge, you're on engineering, and Doctor Crusher you're at the science station." With that said they all went quickly and quietly to their positions.

"Plot course for Starbase 801, and take us out. Councilor Troi, Number One, you and Commander LaForge scan the ship for any tracking devises or bugs. We need to make sure no one can follow us or hear anything we may say." So they began the scan of the vessel and returned an hour later after finding nothing unusual on board. All was quiet, while five of the six people on the ship were trying desperately to figure out just exactly what was going on and why they had to give up shore leave for it.

_Starbase 801. There are only two real routes in and out of it. The one we are currently taking and the back little traveled flight path to Betazed, that's only used by the royal family. It's not very well known. Why in the world would we be going to Betazed? I know that there is political unrest there right now, but we're not nearly enough man power to make a real difference. Or are we trying to throw anyone who may be following us off? _This was the direction Deanna's thoughts were taking as she sat at the communications station. As a Betazed native she obviously knew such an unimportant detail. The rest of the crew, with the exception of Captain Picard and Data, were unaware of this and thought their mission directly involved Starbase 801. It would take a good week to reach the base, four days if they were lucky.

Starbase 801 was a research station, in the middle of no-where. The only people who ever went out there were scientists and suppliers. As far as any of them knew, the research done there was quite mundane, and never needed any amount of secrecy. Of course they didn't know they **were** taking the back-way to Betazed.

"Data set the autopilot. It's now safe to tell all of you our new mission. I realize that all of us should be on shore leave, and that this is an annoyance to all of you, but the mission we have is incredibly important. We've been assigned a… rescue mission of sorts." As Picard said this everyone became very interested. "As I'm sure the every one knows war has broken out on Betazed. Our job is to fly into Betazoid space, beam up the royal family, and immediately get back to Earth. We need to keep them safe at all costs. If the rebel faction wins the war they stay in the Federation and fade into the pages of history. Otherwise they return to Betazed and continue to govern the planet. They're safety is very important to those who don't support the rebels. One other thing, Councilor, Admiral Dovias requested you handle all diplomatic issues and… make sure the King, Queen, prince and princess are comfortable."

Deanna visibly paled as Picard said this. She had been growing steadily paler and paler during the whole mission description and whatever color may have been left was now completely gone. Her breaths were coming in quick and uneven gasps. The five other people on board the _Betaprin _were looking at her and wondering what was wrong.

"Captain, I really don't think that is such a good idea. I'd be more than happy to instruct anyone in proper Betazoid culture, but it would, will be impossible for me to come face to face with either His Majesty or Her Highness." She informed Jean-Luc in a very shaky voice, which she attempted to hide. Only Will had only ever seen Deanna lose her composure like this before, and that had only happened on one occasion.

Picard chose his next words carefully. "Deanna, would you care to explain why you fulfilling this request would be so impossible?"

"Well, I…I-" Deanna looked to Will for support. He looked at her, in thought for a moment and then pulled her off to the side of the room. Leaving four very confused faces behind.

"Deanna, you have to tell them the truth. I know you never wanted anyone to know, but the truth will come out as soon as the royal family is aboard. You and I both know you can't stay hidden the entire journey. It's to long of a time period."

"I know you're right. But that doesn't make it any easier. I've spent fourteen years trying to forget my past and move on, and now I've just been thrown back in to the life I hated and forced to remember all the mistakes I made. I suppose you're right though. It's time to face my demons and accept the fact that as much as I want to I can't run forever. I have to return to who I was and give up my life as Deanna Troi."

"You don't have to give up Deanna Troi, but you have to become and accept all parts of you and their history, including mistakes. I'm the only one, who knows about your past, but I think and I know you think it's time to let some others in on the secret. I'll help you as much as I can, but I only know how it starts." Deanna nodded and took a deep breath. Slowly the pair made their way back to where the others were standing.

"It's not a well known fact that the only true heirs to the throne of Betazed, gave up their claims, their birthright." Deanna stated. Picard suddenly became more interested. Only a short time ago, he and Admiral Dovias had been discussing this same topic. He wondered how Deanna could possibly know this. She continued, "What I mean by true heirs is that the two I'm speaking of were the son and daughter of King Leonardo, may he rest in peace, his only children. The current royal family has no blood ties to the long line of Mykarias that has ruled the planet for a thousand years. The fact of the matter is…I'm King Leonardo's daughter, Princess Shalimar Amelia Deanna Tory Mykaria. I suppose the story starts 14 years ago…"

_It was a warm summer's day on the planet of Betazed. The entire palace was buzzing with activity, for today was the day that the ambassadors from the Federation were to arrive. They were going to be staying at the palace for the entire summer (three months). They were going to try and establish better ties with the Betazoid government, because the treaty currently in use was a little lacking in some areas. _

_Alone in her chamber, sat the 17 year old princess Shalimar Amelia Deanna Tory Jaina Serena Mykaria. She sat in thought about what the ambassadors would be like. She had never been off planet and had limited interaction with people of different cultures. As she dreamed of different worlds and a freedom she could never have, her two handmaidens came in. _

_"Your highness, your mother and King Carrington request your presence in the throne room. I believe that the representatives will be arriving very shortly." Lea the first servant girl said. At this Shalimar was startled out of her reverie and looked at Lea and Leanne. _

_"Yes, of course tell them I'll be down momentarily. I just need to put the finishing touches on my make-up." She responded._

_"Are you sure you don't want help finishing up? I'd be more than happy to help." Leanne asked._

_"No, I'm sure I can finish up myself. Just return to your chores." With that the maids left the room and went about their duties. The princess looked in the mirror, and sighed. She had her brown hair set in ringlets that framed her face while the rest of her hair was pulled up and piled on her head. To top off her hair she wore her silver tiara, that's encrusted with pearls. Her face was powdered, so it looked paler than it was and she was wearing a deep red lipstick, with smoky gray eye shadow. Her dress was made of a glittery silver material. It had a tight bodice that laced up the front. It fanned out at the waist and had a long train. She also wore a silver shawl around her bare shoulders. Shalimar wore a thin silver chain that had an eagle and sword encased in a diamond shape on the pendant. It was the royal crest. In her ears there were diamond studs. She wore six bracelets on each arm over her long white gloves, one oval, three round, one hexagon, and one with the writing of the Ancient's on it. On her feet she wore gold colored sandals. _

_As Shalimar began the long walk to the throne room she thought of her brother, Prince Christian Stephen Hayden David Zachary James Mykaria. Three years ago when her father had died, Christian had left Betazed to travel the galaxy and see all he could. In doing so he gave up his right to become king and placed all the responsibility of becoming the next ruler on his sister's shoulders. Shalimar didn't mind though, she knew when she became queen she could travel and see all the tings she had always dreamed of, while still taking care of her home, the one thing she cherished more than anything, except her brother. She hadn't heard from him in a long time, but knew he missed her, as much as she missed him. _

_Meanwhile…_

"_I can not imagine where my daughter is. She was supposed to meet us in the throne room, but I" Queen Lwaxana was telling the diplomats, while she and King Kaleb were showing their guests around the palace. _

"_Do not worry to much about it, your Highness. My son here is often disappearing on us." Said Michelle Riker. She was with her husband and son._

"_And down this hall is----Shalimar over here." King Kaleb called when he saw his stepdaughter. The princess looked up and smiled. She slowly and regally she walked over to where the group was. _

"_I must apologize for my tardiness. I should have been there to greet you when you arrived." She told the envoy, as she curtsied. _

"_You're here now that's what matters", Kaleb told the girl. "May I present my stepdaughter and future Queen of Betazoid, Princess Shalimar Amelia Deanna Tory Jaina Serena Mykaria." He introduced her._

* * *

"As Kaleb introduced me, all of the representatives bowed respectively. Then he began to tell me all of their names. I wasn't really paying much attention until he got to the representatives from Earth. Towards the end of the litany he came to a husband and wife pair, who had brought their son with them. They were Michelle and Christopher Riker, with their son William….

* * *

_When Shalimar saw William step out from behind his parents as Kaleb introduced him, she felt her breathe catch in her throat. She had met many boys but none as handsome as Will. He was wearing a simple black button down shirt and a pair of black dress pants. He had the first two buttons undone and she could see a silver chain around his neck. His sleeves were rolled up in the heat from summer. He was tall, but not overly so. She thought he must be around her age, and little did she know he was having a similar reaction._

_William came out from behind his parents and thought he must be hallucinating. He had never seen such a beautiful woman. He thought she could only be something out of a dream, or the result of a sickness and fever. Yet, he also knew her to be real. Will had only heard stories of the beauty of Betazoid woman and now he knew where the stories came from. _

_As he moved forward he bowed deeply allowing some loose hair to fall into his eyes. He took her left gloved hand and kissed it. _

"_It's a pleasure your Highness." He told her. _

"_The pleasure is all mine." She told him. Shalimar had felt electricity run through the both of them at his gentle touch and kiss. They were both startled out of their musings when Queen Lwaxana cleared her throat. _

"_Well, now that everyone's been properly introduced, Shalimar, you and William need not attend the negotiations. Why don't you take him out to the gardens, and get to know one another." The queen suggested to her daughter. _

"_As you wish. This way." With that the two of them walked off towards the gardens. The pair walked in silence for about five minutes, until Will asked, "If I may be so bold, I can't for the life of me remember your full name. Would you please repeat it for me? Your Highness." _

_Shalimar laughed lightly, which made Will's stomach do cartwheels. "It's Princess Shalimar Amelia Deanna Tory Jaina Serena Mykaria. It's quite a mouthful I know, but to be honest, I hate how formal it sounds. So would you please just call me Shalimar?"_

"_I'll call you Deanna, if that's alright. It seems much more informal, and that way I'll get to know the real you, not the princess." _

"_That would be perfect. It'll be a nice change from all the formality. It's funny even when I'm with my family it's very formal. But that's enough of that. Tell me what's Earth like. "_

"_Well, it's not that different from here. Tall buildings, and some interesting sites, but I really haven't seen that much. I'm from Alaska; this is my first time off planet. And Alaska isn't very exciting. Lot's of forests, some of the only ones left on the planet. Beautiful winters though. So, what's it like being a princess?"_

"_Well I know most people think that being a princess, or royalty sounds extremely glamorous, but it's also quite mundane. Every minute of every day is planned. Would you believe that I've never been outside the palace walls? But, as much as I dislike the restrictions, I'll still become queen someday, and to me that makes it worth it. The chance to serve my people makes up for it."_

"_That's an interesting outlook on things. I don't think I could live like that. I really value the fact that I can do what ever I want without everything being in the public eye. Or having what I do being held to a certain standard."_

* * *

"We got to know each other really well. We spent all of out free time together. We were the best of friends. With Will I wasn't a princess, for the first time in my life I was Deanna and nothing more. I got a glimpse of the outside world, and the more I heard the more I wanted to see it. I was becoming rebellious and curious, resisting the control I had felt my whole life it was incredible. And about three weeks later there was a grand ball in celebration of my mother's 38th birthday…"

* * *

_Once again Deanna was sitting alone in her bedchamber, preparing this time for the cotillion in her mother's honor. This time she was wearing the exact same necklace that she wore constantly, but had a silver tiara with a large diamond in the center. Her dress was made of shimmering silk, in a snow-white color. It had a heart shaped strapless bodice and a full ballroom skirt. Over top of the skirt was a see-through silver material, to give the dress some color. She also wore the long gloves with a diamond bracelet on her left wrist, along with the other six she wore constantly. In place of her usual diamond stud earrings, she wore long dangling earrings that were simple long strands of solid silver and had two diamonds on the ends. Her face was a lovely pink color, and she wore a light crimson lipstick and cherry eye shadow. Her hair was left down and straightened. _

_As Deanna sat at her vanity finishing her outfit, there was a knock on her door. _

"_Just a minute." She yelled out. With a final glance in her full-length mirror she walked over to her door. She smoothed out her dress and opened the door. She came face to face to Will._

"_Are you ready to go, Milady?" He asked her as he stepped through the door._

"_As ready as I'll ever be. I hate these kinds of functions." The princess revealed as she and William walked out into the hallway. "To be perfectly honest I hate dressing like this too. Though I have to admit you look incredibly handsome. " Riker was wearing a white tuxedo, with gold cufflinks and a black undershirt. _

"_Why thank you, Your _Highness."_ He said jokingly. As she laughed she hit him lightly on the arm._

"_I do believe you are mocking me, William. I'm not sure I entirely appreciate it. I may just have to take back my earlier compliment."_

"_You wound me. Oh look we're here. I'll meet you inside, after they announce you." He told her. He leaned in and whispered, "Don't trip. Meet me on the balcony at nine." With that he walked off towards the main entrance to the ballroom. She stared after him for a moment confused, and then she shook her head and prepared herself for her entrance. She straightened her dress one more time and nodded to the announcer. _

_He stepped out into the ballroom and called for attention, "Her Royal Highness, Queen Lwaxana's daughter, Princess Shalimar Amelia Deanna Tory Jaina Serena Mykaria." At that the princess walked down the long staircase and into main hall. She walked over to where her mother and Kaleb were sitting and bowed respectively to both of them. Then she got swept up in dancing with all the eligible bachelors present. All the while she danced, she only thought of Will. She kept glancing at the clock in the courtyard. To all of the men she danced with she seemed distant and uninterested. In reality she was only preoccupied, she wondered what Will could possibly want to talk to her about. He had seemed so serious when he had told her to meet him. Finally, the clock approached nine._

"_Please excuse me. I'm supposed to meet some one now. It really was a pleasure dancing with you." Deanna told Andrew Latoya, a successful entrepreneur, who was incredibly boring, when she left to meet Will. _

_Slowly the princess made her way across the ballroom floor towards the balcony. She acknowledged all the dignitaries and important people she saw as she went on. At last, she got to the balcony and saw William waiting for her; his back was to her. She stopped at the door and looked at him. She knew that she had fallen for him; from the moment she met him. She wanted him to feel the same for her, but knew he didn't. She took the moment to read his emotions. His mind seemed in turmoil, and he was nervous at the same time, as he gazed out over the garden. _Oh well. Time to see what he wanted. _"Well, I have to admit, this is one of the dullest nights I've ever experienced. I" She was cut off when she saw Will's face. " Will, what is it?" She asked concern evident in her voice. _

"_Deanna, I don't know how to say this but, I---" He stopped speaking and stepped forward. He took her hands in his and kissed her full on the lips. At first she was incredibly startled and didn't react, but after a moment she responded with full passion. She slipped one arm around his neck and pulled him closer, while the other hand was playing with his hair. He slipped both arms around her waist and stroked her lower back. After a few seconds he pulled away and looked into her eyes._

"_Deanna I'm sorry. I never should-" He started to say but, was cut off when she kissed him again, this time with a lot more passion and force. Almost instantly he responded with equal passion. They continued to kiss until the need for air grew too great to be ignored. They stayed close to one another and didn't let go of the other. The young princess leaned against his chest and sighed. _

"_Will, I really want to be with you but, if we- what I mean is, well I. how do I say this?"_

"_Why don't we keep it a secret? We don't have to tell anybody about us yet. We'll be together and I promise no one will know until you're ready to tell them. " He kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arm around her and held her. They stayed like that for quite some time, and eventually made their way back inside the ballroom. They spent the rest of the night dancing and getting lost in each other's eyes. _

* * *

"We kept the secret as well as we could. The two of us would sneak out into the gardens at night to see each other. We kept this up for all three months; nobody suspected a thing. When the time came for the delegates to leave it was difficult to get away to see each other. Finally on their last day on Betazed, we hadn't had a chance to properly say goodbye…"

* * *

_Deanna sat on her balcony staring out over the gardens. She had tears in her eyes. The diplomats were to leave early tomorrow, and that meant she would not have a chance to say goodbye to Will in private. As she thought back on their time together she remembered all of the plans he had for his future. He wanted to go into Starfleet and serve on board a starship, see the galaxy. She had to admit it sounded like a great life, traveling and seeing all there is to see, while still serving and protecting all people of the Federation. She could see herself following a similar course, if her blood hadn't dictated her path for her. For the first time she could remember, she felt herself wishing she had been born anyone else, someone who could be free to love who they wanted and follow their own destiny. Not the one that had been planned out for her since before she was born. _

_As Deanna sat, lost in her musings, she could hear Riker calling up softly to her._

"_Deanna, I wanted to see you one last time. Meet me at the gazebo." With that he was gone, with Deanna staring after him. After a split second delay, she got up and quietly made her way through the darkened palace. The gazebo was only used for special ceremonies and services. She knew he chose it because they were least likely to be seen. It was the best spot in the entire palace to view the coast and the only way to get down to the beach, but no one went to the beach. The gate was always kept locked and no one had ever ventured beyond them. When she got to the gazebo she didn't see Will, so she walked over to the gate and watched the ocean come in and go out never wavering. _

"_Do you want to go out to it?" Will asked as he came up behind her. _

"_Will, you startled me. Can we get out there?"_

"_I think so." With that he pushed open the gates and walked through. He turned to her took her hand and said, "Take your shoes off. And come on." So she bent down and took her sandals off. _

"_Are you sure about this? I mean I can't get my dress wet or someone's bound to notice and then I'll be in soo much trouble and then" She stopped when he held up his hand._

"_Do you always ramble like that?" He said jokingly. "Anyway I asked you hear for a reason, Deanna I'm leaving tomorrow and I want to tell you something." He took a deep breath. Shalimar noticed that he was terribly nervous. She watched him intently. "Deanna, I love you."_

_Deanna's eyes widened in shock and tears were once again forming in her eyes. She stared at him for a few minutes in silence. Finally she said, "Will, I---I love you too." She said smiling. She rushed into his arms and kissed him, while he spun her around. _

_Meanwhile…_

_In their private study, Queen Lwaxana and King Kaleb sat discussing how well the diplomatic negotiations had gone. After a few minutes there was a knock on the door._

"_Enter." Kaleb called out. Princess Shalimar's two handmaidens, Lea and Leanne, entered the room. _

"_We just went up to give the princess the glass of water she requested and she wasn't there. I know that's not really a big deal, but there was that and then the alarm signaling the gate to the ocean was opened." _

"_Right, get a few of the guards to go down to the beach and find out what's going on. If Shalimar's not there start a search of the entire palace and surrounding grounds." The king told the two girls. _

_Back at the beach…_

_The couple was sitting on the beach, wrapped in each other's arms asleep, when the guards sent to find the princess saw them. _

"_There you are Princess. You had us all very worried." One of the guards said to her. Of course as they were sleeping, neither one quite heard exactly what the guard said._

"_Damn, I didn't think they would find us." Will said, as he finally woke up enough to realize the sentries were there. The guards looked at him confused. _

_As the couple followed the guards back to the palace they tried to keep away from each other. Deanna knew she was in trouble; it was near dawn. She had spent the entire night out with neither Will, a man who was neither her husband nor a Betazoid, which for royalty was unheard of. As they neared the king and queens private quarters the guards told them,_

"_Would, you please wait here, while we inform your mother that you have been found."_

_With that they disappeared into the room._

"_Deanna, I am so sorry about all of this. I never meant to get you into trouble. I just-"_

"_Will, relax. I don't care how much trouble I get in. What matters is you and all you did for me."_

_Before he had a chance to reply though the guards returned, this time accompanied by the king and queen. Her Majesty gave her daughter a disapproving look before she said:_

"_Well I am relived to see both of you are alright. Why don't you both go and get cleaned up. William, the transport to take you home leaves in a half an hour. Shalimar we will talk about all of this later." The tone in her voice left little room for discussion. So Deanna headed off towards her bedroom and William walked in the opposite direction to his own. Both were thinking about the other and wondering if they would ever see each other again, or if they would just forget about the time they spent together. _

_When Deanna reached her bedroom she threw herself on to the bed and began to cry. She thought about Will and the fact she knew they would never see one another again. She thought of her brother and wondered why he had to leave. If he hadn't she would never have to become Queen and could be with Will. She wasn't mad at Christian, but she wished he was with her. He would have understood what she felt and would have made their mother understand. _

_After about ten minutes she just stopped crying and got up. She walked over to the bathroom and got a shower and never once thought about all that had happened the previous night. It was only about six in the morning. She knew that the transport left in ten minutes, but did not care. She didn't plan on going to see the diplomats off even though she knew that it was one more thing that would get her into trouble. She dressed in a simple black pants and black long sleeved turtle-neck. Neither of them had an overly royal feel to them or any sort of pattern. Some one might have thought she was a servant, but in reality she just did not have the energy to place an appropriate dress on. She ran a brush through her hair and pulled it back into a ponytail at the base of her neck. She didn't bother to apply makeup or put her jewelry on. She just sat blankly at her vanity, thinking of nothing in particular. _

_An hour after the transport left Lea and Leanne came in to check on her and tell her that Lwaxana and Kaleb wanted to speak with her. Unfortunately when they saw how she was dressed they immediately helped her into a more appropriate dress. It was inappropriate for the princess to wear anything other than dresses, which reflected her status. She was now wearing an elegant deep blue dress that was held up by thin straps that went over her shoulders and formed an x across her back. It flared our slightly at the bottom. Over the dress she wore a deep blue shawl tied behind her back at her waist. She had matching gloves on, with the usual bracelets on. Around her neck was the royal pendant. Shalimar's hair was pulled back into a French braid with some loose hairs framing her face. Once again she had white powder on her face, with dark blue eye shadow and a deep crimson lipstick. She was the picture perfect princess, yet she couldn't stand to look at herself in the mirror and did not know why._

_Slowly she began the long walk to the throne room to where she knew her mother and stepfather to be waiting. Her thoughts turned to the reprimand that she knew was coming. First would be the disappointment expressed by her mother. Then Kaleb would lecture her on her actions and all the reasons that a future queen shouldn't behave as she did. After that the king and queen would both lecture her again, but this time as her parents and not the royalty they were. Except they would do a lousy job distinguishing between their two personalities. Eventually she would be free to go and not have any sort of punishment. It was quite unnerving to know that it was all so predictable. It was the same format that was always followed when she got into trouble. Granted she had never done anything quite this serious before, she doubted that her mother and stepfather had the creativity to deviate from the format of punishment that had existed since before she was born. _

_She soon arrived outside of the King and Queen's private study. _

Look for updates soon!!

hope you all enjoyed the first enstallment...look for updates but it could take a while...no worries though


	2. Chapter Two

_Chapter 2: The Truth Reveled. _

_The moment Shalimar opened the door she was greeted by two angry and disappointed faces. In the instant she saw them, the princess knew that her earlier thoughts of this being a usual punishment were mistaken. There was one thing she knew though; she would stick up for herself and not allow her parents to see the pain she was in at being separated from Will. She was hiding her pain so well that even though it was fresh, even she hardly knew it was there._

_"Deanna I don't think you realize just how poorly you acted last night and this morning." the Queen began, "your actions not only reflect badly on yourself, but on the entire royal family. If word got out to the media about your ... exploits it could mean a loss of faith in the future leader of Beatzed. We might even have to come up with a medical miracle for your brother's condition. Not only did you stay out all night and well into this morning, but you … had relations with a man who was not royal or even one of us. And then you fail to see the diplomats off and I have to send your ladies maids to go and fetch you…what has gotten into you?"_

_"Firstly, my brother would never come back and you know it. Ever since father died he has been distant almost ashamed to be royalty. He made the choice that was right for him, but what about me? I have no choice but to become queen and continue on the line of Mykaria, but what is so wrong with having just a few months of thinking of me and not the entire planet? I realize that I am almost of age and need to act the part I was born to play and I will but I was happy with him...I could almost see life beyond what I knew. William and I both knew that we could never stay together and will probably never see one another again but for those few short weeks I wasn't a princess, I was just Deanna. I wasn't pretending and it was a wonderful feeling. We certainly never had 'relations' in the sense that you are thinking of and I love my people and would never leave like Hayden did and I-"_

_"Shalimar, stop. You are royalty and nothing you tell your mother and I can explain your behavior. Your actions have been irresponsible and irrational. It is time you began to behave as a princess... not some commoner who thinks they are in love. Love is not real, all marriages are meant to be are unions joining two powerful families and gain power for the two people marrying. As such it is time you were informed of a decision your mother and I have come to regarding your future and then we will continue to discuss your actions and their consequences. We have found a suitable husband for you. His name is Andrew Latoya, a business man and noble...I believe I saw you with him at your mother's birthday. He is a pleasant man who will be good for you."_

_"So now you are going to force me to marry?" Deanna asked incredulously. _

_"I know you may not be happy with the arrangement but… he will be good for you. A decent match to help keep you grounded and behaving properly is just what you need."_

_"What if I choose not to marry him…I did dance with him that night but I certainly didn't enjoy it. I just can't understand why you want to inflict such torture on me. I understand that what I did was wrong but can't you realize that I won't make the same mistakes. I'll marry in my own time, someone of my own choosing, but not someone I don't even like or know nothing about." She argued. _

_"Shalimar Amelia Deanna Tory Jaina Serena Mykaria you will treat your step father and me with the respect our positions deserve. Our decision is final you will marry Andrew Latoya, it is a smart match, will be good for you and will marry because we order it. Now he will arrive here in two days time and remain until the ceremony which will be held in three months time, right after your 18th birthday. Announcement of the engagement will be in exactly one week, on the eve of your birthday. The people will be so happy when their future king is announced and will want to wish you well. No more running off, sneaking about, lying, and or anything that is inappropriate for a lady of your standing. _

_"So I really have no choice? I can't believe this. I am your daughter and future queen, don't I have the right to be somewhat happy? Even if I can never see William again can't I choose my own husband?_

_"NO! And there will be no more arguments from you or you will have to face the consequences." The king yelled at his step-daughter._

_At this Shalimar took a step backward. In all the time she had known Caleb he had never raised his voice to this degree and the princess was beginning to feel frightened. She stood there dumbfounded for a moment and realized there was no way out of her current situation. She took a deep breath and said in a small voice, "I will marry Him, but I will not be happy about it. Is that all?"_

_The queen sat there looking at her husband, astonished at his actions, but she knew better that to call him on it. When he had mentioned that marriages were only mergers to benefit wealth and power, she wondered if that was his motivation for marrying her or if he had said it to motivate and make Shalimar understand their decision. She was called out of her thoughts when her daughter gave her acceptance. Being completely honest with herself she was amazed at how quickly they had gotten her to agree, she had assumed that she would fight until she had nothing left. She looked at the young girl…no woman in front of her and saw that in her eyes she had lost something. And there was an unexplained fear present as well. '_Well maybe the fear isn't so irrational' _she thought, but that missing 'something' she realized must have something to do with her quick submission. It appeared as if her daughter had lost her other half. _'When Hayden left, she became such a quiet child, so subdued, and lost…but when she was with that young man she acted more like the child who loved life and looked at everything with such a positive outlook…are we doing the right thing' _she began to question herself. _

_"No, Shalimar. I do have one other thing to share with you…I am pregnant. You are going to have a younger sibling. We should have told you sooner, but with the delegation here we didn't want word to spread to early"_

_Deanna looked like she had just been slapped. She stared incredulously at the two monarchs. She stood in blind shock for a moment before she regained herself enough to offer her congratulations. She was dismissed after that and walked to her room in a daze, hardly realizing where her feet were carrying her. _

* * *

"Two days later, Andrew did indeed arrive and a small banquet was held with my family and his. Caleb didn't want the press to know anything until the formal announcement was made. Of course there were rumors flying around due to his arrival but we kept quiet. The pregnancy of my mother was weighing on my mind and I couldn't help but feel disdain for my parents, my brother, for society for putting me in this position."

* * *

_It was the night of the small dinner welcoming Andrew to the palace. He was a tall man with graying hair, at least twice the princess's senior. He wore an expensive black suit and round spectacles (he hadn't worn those at the ball). He brought his mother, father, and sister all who stuttered and acted clumsily in the presence of royalty, being that the Latoya fortune was earned solely by Andrew. He asked her to call him Andy or dear. She insisted that he call her Shalimar or Highness. He chose Shal. _

_When it came time to prepare for the dinner Deanna called her two ladies maids and had them bathe and dress her. She couldn't stop the sick feeling she got whenever she thought of her future. _

_The maids were happy to comply. They bathed her in warm water with rose scented oils and perfume and soap. She was then dressed in a robe and sat at her vanity. She fought to forget when she dressed for Will at the same vanity. Lea brushed her hair until it was dry and put it up in an elegant knot, leaving wisps of curled hair to frame her face. She then wove small silk roses into the knot. Leanne on the other hand did the princess's make up. An ivory foundation was applied. Her eyes were coated with a white eye shadow, and had mascara put on. Her cheeks were powdered again giving her a slightly pale, but not sickly look. Her lipstick was a light, barley noticeable pink. _

_Once her hair and makeup were finished, Lea and Leanne helped Deanna put her corset and petticoats on and then helped her into her dress. The dress was solid white. The bodice was strapless and tight. It held an intricate, beaded pattern and had a narrowed waist. The skirt was long, but lacking a train and fell straight. It had a slit up to her thigh on the right side. The back was full of buttons, from the all the way to the slit. They put diamond earrings, in the shape of chandeliers in, and she wore a diamond choker with her pendant. The twelve bracelets were also present. She wore white open toed, heeled sandals and her nails were painted silver. She wore an ornate tiara, with diamonds and pearls encrusted, being formed into tiny flowers on vines. _

_After much poking and prodding the ladies maids declared her ready for dinner and sent her on her way. Deanna thought of little other than her impending marriage and plastered a fake smile on her face. To those who didn't know her previously she looked like the happy bride-to-be, which everyone saw her as, but to Will, though he wasn't there (he was the only one who could see) she looked like she was about to be led to the noose. _

_When she arrived in the dinning hall, everyone was standing waiting to greet her. Andrew came up and kissed her on the cheek in welcome. He then introduced his father, Char, his mother Cecilia, and his younger sister, Eleanor. His mother was kind faced woman, with laugh lines and a plump size. His father was gray but regal looking, with an air of nobility around him, and Cecilia was an elegant woman, with few gray hairs and very thin. Her husband was away on business and unable to attend. _

_Dinner was a fine affair, full of small talk and false compliments. It was a five course meal, including soup, salad, seafood, chicken, and steak. For dessert there were two types of cake, white and chocolate, and small truffles in assorted flavors. The King and Queen sat at the heads of the table, while Deanna sat at her mother's right with Andrew next to her. Cecilia sat on Andrew's left. The Latoya's were on the other side of the table. There was white and red wine served._

_Deanna ate and made polite conversation, hiding the fact that she felt like she had been sold into slavery well. When the end of dinner approached Andrew made the engagement official._

_"Shal, I have gotten to know you throughout dinner and would like nothing more for this engagement to become official. You are a lovely woman and will make a wonderful wife. I of course will be an excellent king and want you to stand behind me always. As they always say behind every man is a good woman. So, will you seal our future and consent to be my wife?"_

_She sat there knowing from the beginning what was coming, though it didn't make hearing the words any easier. He was proposing based on a few hours polite conversation and didn't even mention her role as queen, though he did make him king already. She was furious that he could make such assumptions, when without her he would only be a business man. She wanted to scream that he didn't know the first thing about her, he had only asked about trivial matters and gossip. He hadn't asked what she liked, disliked, what her dreams were, or what her plans for the kingdom were. When he wasn't talking about stupid matters, he was imagining himself as king, and how wonderful it was. She hesitated for a moment and then, out of the corner of her eye saw Caleb nodding at her. Deanna knew her fate was sealed. "Yes, of course I'll marry you." She found the words were difficult to get out and sounded like someone else was saying them. Her eyes filled with tears at the thought of all she had just given up, Will, becoming who she wanted and making the changes she wanted. _

_Claiming fatigue from the evening's excitement she retired to her bedchambers, refusing Andrew's offer to accompany her back. She needed to be alone. Shalimar wanted to go to her father's grave and sit but knew she was being watched and couldn't risk going out at night again. _

_An hour later, Lea and Leanne helped the young princess into her bed clothes and brushed out her hair. She lay on her bed knowing that in five days the engagement would be made public and there was no way out. She finally let the tears fall that she had been holding back, she cried for Will, for having no way out of marriage, for being born a princess, and for being kept from her dreams. _

_She suddenly stopped crying and began to think. She rose and went to her balcony; she could still see Will calling up to her. From there she could see the graveyard where her father laid. Slowly she formed a plan and by the time dawn rolled around, she had a way of escape. _

AN: OK I am so sorry this took so long. I have had school work out the ears…I had competitions every Saturday…and my brother was home for two months effectively cutting me off from the work I had started on this chapter. I know this was shorter but I wanted to get something out to all of you and didn't want to give away too much of the plan. Sigh…life is just so complicated. So I want to know from all of you if you like the longer chapters or if this length is ok. Longer chapters mean longer waits as I don't have a lot of time to write and I am constantly changing things. Yes this took a long time… but the first chapter took about a year to write… but that's because I forgot about it for about six months. I promise it won't usually take that long. Sorry if the long wait upset you but the longer the wait the better the chapter…let me know about the length thing and please give me some feed back of any sort.

Next Chapter: the announcement and a visit to Deanna's father's grave…what will is thinking and getting to know Andrew a little better.

Jaina


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